If space is at a premium, writes Leon Poultney, Primal Strength’s Adjustable Kettlebell offers a decent spread of weights in a compact unit
● PERFECT FIT ADJUSTABLE KETTLEBELL
Having space in your home gym set-up to house a range of free weights isn’t easy. But anyone looking to maximise gains from progressive overload will benefit from at least three individual kettlebells covering a decent weight spread. Which is where adjustable kettlebells come in. Like their dumbbell counterparts, these clever and compact units cram a useable weight spread into a very small footprint.
Key features Primal’s Adjustable Kettlebell offers five weights in a well-designed package. The design has a rotating dial at the top, to select the weights beneath it. The lower the weight you select, the fewer plates the kettlebell picks up. Unlike some other rivals, such as the Bowflex SelectTech 840 Kettlebell, there’s no tray, so you don’t have to cart around an extra piece of plastic when you want to move the kettlebell. Simply select the max weight and away you go.
That said, this design feature is also a quirk that impacts the overall user experience, as the fewer weight plates you select, the smaller the Primal Personal Series Adjustable Kettlebell gets. In fact, select the lowest 4.5kg option and it’s little more than a handle.
Build quality
The quality of Primal kit tends to be excellent and it’s no different here. At this price, I’d say it’s one of the most robust and reliable adjustable kettlebells we’ve tested. The unit is made from a number of materials, including aluminum, steel, polypropylene, nylon and ABS, but they all feel tough and able to withstand a bashing. Like their adjustable dumbbell counterparts, the best adjustable kettlebells don’t take too kindly to dropping, as it can damage the selection mechanism.
That said, if I had to drop any, it would be this one. That’s purely because it feels like it’s been built to last. The only downside is the selection dial, which isn’t the slickest to use. Firstly, you have to pinch a safety catch in order to spin the dial, and secondly, it doesn’t rotate a full 360. Switching from 4.5kg to 18kg and back again requires a full turn in each direction, for example.
Performance
Of the many adjustable kettlebells I’ve tested, Primal’s option felt like the most natural to use. Surprisingly, Primal has done the obvious thing and based its design on – shock, horror – a traditional kettlebell. Naturally, that makes using the Personal Series much more intuitive and comfortable. When fully laden, the difference in workout feel to a traditional, solid kettlebell is
